The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-02
LTOUCHING INDIIy STORY
HOW rive SISTERS SECURED
THEIR FREEDOM
By the Quick Recognition Of An
other In the Courthouse Where
They Appeared as Slaves.
3. the Editors Of the Appeal:

not be undressing to recall that his
torical epoch, aud with it to hear 6
brief Indian legend tranepiring some
few years later. Let me tell them as h
sort Of New Years story.
About the year 1888 81 the Fedora
Government had bought from the
Ghoctsw and Chickataw Indians Of
Mississippi, the Greeks OF Alabama,
the Cperokees OF Georgia aud the
eemipolss of Florida most of their
lands in those Stat %. Some few fam
lilies would not sell, and few of their
descend auts are yet in those States
But merry all sold, got coin in pay,
and homes in the Indian Territory,
west Of Arkansss. The Units d States
Government agreed 10 furnish trans
portation 10 al Indians needing it.,
and as Mem, his was the town on The
Mississippi nearest that Territory, the
entire Inoisn movem MT was directed
TO this poiut. As L now remember,
the IudiaIs began to alive in Sep en-
Der, 1887, and they were coming TIL
late in December; arrival and do
parturc icing much governed by the
river transportation ohGsinable here.
Bometiues 1909 or 200J would arrive
withinA week or two, and they campsd
on the many bayOu5 south OF Bale
street, whore wood and water could be
n had. Toe government supplied them
and their teams with food and forage,
aud they hsd coin for all the luxuries
taeJ faucisd Twas Il re fall for the
"I1diau trade" R5d blankets aud
butcher knives and sugar and coffee
WIRE ia Sc,iye and GODS ant demand.
As my brother, Louis T., was then
merchant here, bis store, like all tae
others, was crowded all day, and l
often dropped ia to help him cell his
goods to the Indians. Doubtless l
leaned the 1Ddian names for many
things they bought, though l now rec
ollect but enc A butcher knife was
"slofks," and it seemed that every
man war ted a s'ofka. Whether it is
is q Chickasaw or Chcctsw word can
not say. Every afternoon many of our
citizens, old and young, would walk
out to the Indian camps and learn
what they could of Indian life. Some
Indians had U nited States Army tents;
but as the fall was mild, most of
them slept on leaves or hay and
Uihuh0SC Ou MANY
had negro slaves who wers as obedi.
snt as though their owners were
white. N9body ever yet heard of
negro owning an Indian as q slave.
The chiettsiu of the Seminoles was
named Q po.h-le-yO-ho-lo, ard he was
a splendid specimen of physical man
hood. His intellectual giits, too, were
OF no common order, for all tho tribe
seemed to look to him az best capable
of advising them. His wife was dead,
but his two dau hit srs were with him,
and also a son about 8 years old.
They stopped at Nc Mackin's Hotel,
just east of Exch Ange Square and
Eonting the river. The girls seemed
to be about Is aud 20, dressed in black
h, silk, wors their long, black and coarse
4 nair in indian style; ard l think it
~ as said they had bsen we'll educated.
- any rate, they did not mingle with
common herd" but had their
and horses and negro driver
20 give Them en- aiming whenever they
fancied one. Their father was said
to own twenty or thirty negroes,
who were al going to their new
home in the West
Among the C.erokees ware some
Indian { miles whose ancestry had
lived among white people in East
Tennessee ard North Georgia for
many generations past. Thess had
become familiar with civilized ways to
some ex ept, and could speak EnQlish
well enough for all pfact cal uses. The
greatest f0uble the goverDm mt met
with was 10 peFsuadiUg the Iuda1
womsn to take st amers at Memphis
and 90 down the NJ ssiss ippi and then
up the Arbansas, 10 their homes east
of Fort Smi h. The men and boys
were to wilk, guides being furnished
them and their wagons, ponies aud
mules vera to go that way too. Game
was abundant Throughout the route,
and physicians were sent along with
them, a. government charge. One
from Shis ely, young DR.. McComb,
was killedia swamp over the river
by limb OF tee falling on him dur
ing oTm.
The Iudisn women did not relish
the idea Of 60 ing by water. They
were afraid Of the scspe pipes OF the
boats and the noise they made, Twas
the tax of the warriors or bucks to
persus de the women that Their feais
we're grOundless; and day or two
before the bat was to start, thers
would he gathering under the bluff
between Court and Monroe st,esis,
where the women would squat on the
hard baked sand and the warriors
would use their eloquencs for river
transportation. OF course could not |
D understand their language, but know
ing their elieCt, was often an inter
ested listener and watcher, to witness
the effect Of the orations. In doing
30. wa struck with the richness and
softnets-tbo real music-of their voic1
and words, e graceful, earnest Geit-
ures, and the eloqusnCe OF the Indian
speakers looks as we'll as tongoe
Mos Of the proper names and most
worca OF more than two syllRbles,
were pronounced with the accent on
the last syllable, and 1t seemed to II Q
that no prop9r uams ever ended with
q coaeoaant-all with o vowel sound.
When the fret boat load was sent
away another party was made up as
soon az possible, and when the frat
boat came bsck and reported al cafe
and sound, the fears of the women
Welded 30 curiosity to indulge in
trip on the water. But as the Arkap-
sas river WIS then very low, and the
small boats could not carry great
many, it Yves in December before all
had left our bluffs. never heard of
q murIer or theIt committed by the
Indians during all their stay here.
While here they were under the
charge Of Capt. A. II. Bowman, a grad
uAte Of West Point, and one OF the
most accomp lishsd gentlemen ever
met. He 8 superintendent of that
military tns;itate when the late war
began, and was removed by Lincoln
beOsu+e Of his supposed sympathy
with tho rebellion. He opened the
military road from Memphis to Little
Roet. and when be left here in 1888
or 1889. it was to build or complete
Fort sunter, in Charleston hsrbor,